Creative expression drives Theresa Taliaferro, who started on campus in September as the program review coordinator in the Division of Research and Graduate Studies.

She relishes singing and taking voice lessons. As for musicals, she simply adores them.

"I'm really starting to love opera," she confessed.

Theresa has a degree from the University of California, Berkeley in political science and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Michigan. She started working in television with internships at KPIX-TV in San Francisco, KNTV in San Jose, WBAL-TV in Baltimore (where she worked as a scholarship intern), WDIV-TV in Detroit and Lockheed Missiles Space in Sunnyvale in the video production unit.

Theresa shared memories of the 24-hour news channel in Memphis, Tennessee, where she anchored on the half hour and covered various stories — everything from crime to the circus. From there, she went to Seattle and worked for about a year as a general assignment reporter. Afterward, she worked as a weekend anchor/reporter in Salinas.

It was an exhilarating career that never overpowered Theresa's joy in the performance arts, for her heart truly belongs to the theater.

Theresa grew up in Palo Alto and performed with the children's theater and also with TheatreWorks.

"The Broadway bug kind of bit me," she said. "I grew up doing a lot of musical theater shows as a young child."

While she was in college, Theresa auditioned for and was cast in a national tour of Dreamgirls. On a whim, she went to Broadway to visit a friend, and learned that Callboard Stage Magazine was looking for African American females to star with Nell Carter in a production of “Annie.”

"I did the pre-Broadway tour, and it was so exciting," she said.

But Theresa felt impelled to do more, investing part of her talents in opera. She is involved in the California Opera Association and was in the chorus of “La Traviata,” the moving story of a courtesan who finds and then loses an unselfish love. Theresa was featured in the role of Flora's guest; she also was an understudy for one of the principle roles, Annina.

At Fresno State, Theresa helps faculty to ensure that students get a robust education through program review — the cyclical, system-wide evaluation of degree programs for effectiveness, status, progress and quality. Theresa coordinates the reviews of more than 100 programs, both undergraduate and graduate, to help them form action plans for the next five years.

Theresa delights in the supportive environment at the University, which empowers her to creatively give back while living by the principles of respect and accountability. She said her position allows her to make an impact on students' lives, so they step out into the working world prepared for their future.

One of her friends in graduate school believed in constant improvement, and Theresa believes that Fresno State is the perfect place she can do that.

"I'm getting to understand how the University works to provide the best, most robust educational experience for students here in the Central Valley," she said. "I feel this is the perfect place to learn and grow. The growth and the learning never stop."

At Fresno State, students can step beyond the bounds of mere academic work and become leaders, she said.

"I really want to encourage students here to strive for excellence and to really enjoy the journey. Sometimes it's not about getting to the goal — it's about the journey you take to get to the goal," she said.

Since coming to campus, Theresa has joined the Black Faculty and Staff Association. She enjoys walking and spending time with family and friends. She has a six-year-old stepson and is married to a lecturer on campus. They have a three-legged dog named Annie and two cats — Tilly and Hamilton.

Theresa Taliaferro in character for a production of "La Traviata"